NAS
A NAS, or Network Attached Storage, is a device that contains hard drives and connects to the local network. It's similar to an external hard drive, except it's available to all computers on the LAN, rather than just a single computer. It's also designed to be on 24/7. In the game, all NAS enclosures have three drive bays and come empty. At least one hard drive must be added for it to be functional. The primary benefit of having a NAS is that it can save a lot of time by not having to download the same things on every computer. Having the Greysoft Antivirus install file on the NAS is probably the most beneficial item. Once on the NAS, each computer that needs it can just install it from the NAS. The download step is eliminated completely. That saves a lot of time. In addition, the install file isn't left on each computer the way it is when downloading. 3DBench isn't used nearly as often, but it takes a really long time to download, so putting it on the NAS is also helpful. A NAS can also perform many of the same functions as Polygon Backup. It can scan installed hard drives for errors, repair bad sectors, and clone one drive onto another. The one thing it cannot do is copy user data from one drive to another. For this reason, it's a good idea to leave at least one bay empty, in order to temporarily install customer drives. Otherwise, a dedicated computer with Polygon Backup will be needed to perform these functions. NAS Setup Setting up a NAS is pretty simple, but a lot of players don't think of it, hence this guide. # Buy a NAS. # Buy a hard drive. Preferably at least 1 TB. The "Performance" rating of the drive does seem to matter slightly (hard to be sure). Users who don't care about realism can use an SSD, but realistically, an SSD would not be used for this purpose. Also, the maximum speed is bottle-necked by the speed of the NAS itself, so the benefit is negligible. # When they arrive, place the NAS on the counter, preferably in the corner, since it will remain there for the rest of the game. Install the hard drive in the top bay and click on the Validate button. The Validate button is important, because the NAS will not appear on the network if it is left on the assembly screen. # The NAS will now show up on the network when using any computer, either your own, or a customer's. When clicking on an install file in the Download folder, an option to "Copy to" should be visible. One for every computer on the network, and one for the NAS. Note that on the network, the drive C:, D:, and E: on the NAS refers to bay 1, 2, and 3. # Henceforth, files on the NAS will be accessible from any computer by clicking on Computer, then Network, and then on the NAS itself. For example, the anti-virus can be installed from here, without needing to download it and then go to the Downloads folder. # Faster NAS enclosures will unlock eventually. When that happens, replace your existing one and sell the old one.